


times in jail

by Mayarene Rose (Paradise_of_Mary_Jane)



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Barry is too good for his own good, Gen, Humor, everyone is exasperated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-16 07:14:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13631322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paradise_of_Mary_Jane/pseuds/Mayarene%20Rose
Summary: Thing is, it's kinda hard to mistake the yellow lightning, or just miss it. Or the superheroes that keep breaking into Iron Heights to see a certain someone and Greg is not amused.In which: Barry makes friends, starts clubs, and pointedly does not break out of prison. Also, Gregory Wolfe is not trafficking metahumans and is just a very tired warden.





	times in jail

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written literally as was watching 4x09 so I was mostly finished with it when the reveal about Wolfe happened. And I liked it and wanted to post something light and fluffy so here we are.

Thing is, it’s kinda hard to miss yellow lightning breaking up a riot. At first, Greg didn’t really think much of it. It seems like the kind of thing the Flash does; just breaking into prison and breaking up fights because that’s the kind of wholesome hero he is.

But then Greg starts seeing it at random times as well. Like when Allen is agitated, or when he’s bored, or when he’s going to the bathroom (really?). There was also that one time he got into a fight with a bunch of asshole goons and… well, there you have it, yellow lightning.

Yeah, they usually happen around Allen. Or always. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.

All the speed jokes with his wife, they’re… They’re really not helping.

Greg thinks that he should say something but having the Flash in his prison helps. It really helps and Greg is definitely not paid enough for this shit. It’s about time the local superhero came and helped.

\--

When Allen was brought to Iron Heights, Captain Singh personally escorts him there with the look of someone who died.

“Watch out for him,” Singh tells Greg as they lead Allen away. “He’s a good kid.”

“He murdered a professor in his own apartment.”

Singh pursues his lips and doesn’t answer. It looks more like he doesn’t want to offend Greg.

\--

The first week is rough because the first week is always rough. Then, the second week comes and Allen starts getting comfortable in his own skin and that’s when the trouble starts.

He’d known it from the moment he saw the kid, he had the troublemaker look in his eye. The worst kind of troublemaker there is: the ones who know they’re troublemakers and hide it behind sunny dispositions. The kind that makes you want to protect them.

You almost see it, in the way inmates are already closing in around him. Everyone’s already protective of him, even when they haven’t spoken. There’s just something about the guy that makes you want to make sure he’s doing okay. Apparently, it also works out in Iron Heights.

They’re in for a wild ride, that’s for sure.

\--

Allen, pale, skinny Allen, is playing poker with Big Sir and a bunch of other inmates three times his size.  _ And he’s cheating.  _

He is very definitely cheating. Greg can see it from a blurry security camera, he’s pretty sure the guys he’s playing with sees it, too. Allen is cheating and everyone knows it. Even Allen knows that everyone knows it judging from the amount of puppy dog eyes that he’s been employing.

Puppy dog eyes. Greg’s been on the job for two decades. He has never thought he’d use that word in this business.

The fact that it’s working is probably the worst part.

Or the best, depending on how you look at it.

\--

Another thing, Allen is ridiculously cheerful for someone in prison. He takes being part of the janitorial committee with such zeal that it’s a bit terrifying. At some point, Greg thinks that he actually got the other inmates singing working songs. Enthusiastically.

From the smirk Allen is giving the security cameras, he definitely knows how much of a headache he’s giving Greg.

He’s a little shit but the thing is, he’s an adorable little shit. He is staging a prison take over and it’s working. At least half of the prison is already willing to die for that sunny smile. The other half is just about ready to kill him for being a little shit.

Like now. Now that half the stock of pudding disappeared from the cafeteria.

“Who took the pudding?”

Tyson, a guy who’s in here for ten counts of burglary, looks him dead in the eye and says, “no idea.”

Behind him, Allen shoves chocolate pudding in his mouth and snorts. 

“Fine,” Greg says. 

Allen smiles and hands a cup to Tyson. Greg sighs.

\--

Big Sir gets out of prison. Or disappears might be the more accurate term. It’s Allen’s fault, Greg is just sure of it. Mostly because  _ yellow lightning.  _

“You’re friend’s a fugitive.”

It’s kind of amazing, watching Allen try to lie. His eyes widen, his lips pursues, and he backs away. He shoves his hands in his pocket and raises his head. It’s hilarious.

“Y-yeah, I heard.” His voice goes all wary, high and squeaky. 

Greg bites back a laugh and barely keeps a straight face. “Do you know anything about it?”

“Why would I?”

“Why would you,” Greg echoes. He resists the urge to sigh in exasperation. “That’s all inmate.”

“Thank you, warden.”

\--

“Uh warden there’s…”

Greg turns to him. New guy. Still a kid really. A kid who looks as confused as he is terrified. This should be good.

“Is there a problem?” he asks.

“Not a problem exactly but…”

“But what.”

“The inmates sir, they’re…” The kid hesitates. “They’re talking.”

“Talking.”

“Most of them, they’re just sitting in a big circle. Talking. It’s been nearly an hour now. Just talking. Not fighting.”

Huh. Weird. Inmates not fighting seems to be an almost contradictory sentence. It almost never happens. For it to happen so long…

Greg turns to the window and wouldn’t you know it, they are there, just sitting there. At the center of the circle is one person, talking, expression kind and open. Greg is almost not surprised.

There is something a little stupid about Allen, something a little crazy. If anyone’s going to be able to get everyone in Iron Heights, it’s gonna be him.

\--

Riots break out because riots always break out. Allen always stays in his cell, just sits there, whenever one breaks out.

At least as far as the camera is concerned.

No one really asks about the yellow lightning that breaks everyone up.

\--

“Sir do you notice how--”

“Don’t look too hard at it, rookie.”

“But--”

“Weird shit happens here everyday. Better get used to it.”

\--

Allen manages to start an arts and crafts club with the most hardened inmates. They’re knitting scarves. Go figure.

\--

Then, a different color of lightning appears. A lighter yellow. Greg pointedly does not look at the monitoring screen as he sees what he knows is Allen’s stepbrother. They seem to be arguing. The stepbrother seems to be trying to drag Allen out of his cell and Allen is shaking his head furiously.

“Sir should we be concerned about the breach?”

“Are you?”

The kid hesitates. “Not really.” The two of them don’t seem to be doing more than arguing. There’s a moment when it seems that they’ve disappeared from sight, but it’s only a second then a flash of yellow lightning, and they’re back. Arguing. Again.

Greg lets out an amused laugh. “Allen’s not going to try to escape if someone blows up Iron Heights and drags him out.”

\--

“You’re kid’s a weirdo, West.”

West sighs the long suffering sigh that all fathers share. This is the reason Greg never had children.

Allen has an almost revolving door of visitors. Not really typical for people convicted of murder.

“That he is.”

Greg kinda wants to ask why Allen if he still does the Flash thing, or why he still does the Flash thing in prison. He wants to know why he doesn’t just bust out of the damn place but that doesn’t seem like that kind of thing people would just admit to. 

“Kid cheats at poker,” he says. “Not the kind of thing you should be doing in Gen Pop.”

West rubs his forehead and closes his eyes. It’s getting kinda fun winding them up like this. They’re all crap at lying but it’s amazing how committed they are to it.

“Don’t worry,” he says. “I’ll talk to him.”

\--

A blue portal appears in Allen’s cell and two people--man and woman--step out. Greg just turns away and downs some aspirin. The only thing he can do with Allen, really.

He turns back twenty minutes later and Allen is alone.

More importantly,  _ he’s still there. _

_ For the love of fu-- _

\--

The inmates are trying to organize a stage play. Obviously, it was Allen’s idea.

Greg lets them, mostly because he’s too tired for this shit.

\--

Things come to a head when Killer Frost herself walks into Greg’s office in cold fury.

“Please just take him,” Greg says. “He’s a pain in the ass that this entire prison is willing to protect. I’m begging you, just take him.”

“I tried,” Killer Frost and wow, she’s really taking this icy thing too far. Greg wonders if this kind of commitment is just a thing with Allen and all his friends or if it’s something they get from him, like the common cold. “He’s not listening to any of us.”

“Can’t you just knock him out and drag him back to where you and your superfriends are hiding?”

“I’m not allowed to hurt people anymore.”

“Does that mean you’re not going to kill me, either?”

Killer Frost sighs and cold fog comes out of her mouth. “Unfortunately.”

\--

When the spaceship and various superpowered people try to bust him out, Greg decides that enough is enough.

\--

“Inmate.” Allen’s eyes widen when Greg steps into his cell. “You’re an idiot.”

“Sorry but what did I do?”

“You should know that nothing happens in this place that I don’t know about.” He looks into Allen’s eyes, long and deep. Allen turns a deep red. “Nothing.”

Greg thinks of blue portals and other speedsters and huge-ass spaceships and wonders how Allen ever thought he was getting away with anything. That visit from the Elongated Man is probably the most subtle and the guy literally stood in front of Greg's office while he stretched his neck to talk to Allen.

“Warden--”

“I let you get away with a lot of things, Allen,” Greg says, turning away. “You should probably take advantage of it.”

\--

Greg reads in the newspaper that the Flash is once again sighted after months. In Iron Heights, Barry Allen stretches out in his bed and smiles.

Greg covers his mouth with his hand to hide a smile of his own.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [tumblr](http://discowlng.tumblr.com) btw, if you want to hang out :D


End file.
